ND’s Terrell Denies 2-Pointer vs. Miami in ‘88

“Catholics vs. Convicts.” It’s a nickname seemingly more fitting for a prize fight than for a football game.

The 1988 mega-matchup between No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 1 Miami (FL) was both. And not just because of the pregame fight between the two teams in the field entrance tunnel prior to the game.

On one side you had the brash, flashy Hurricanes. On the other, you had the Fighting Irish, the closest thing college football had to “America’s Team.” Two wholly separate football ideologies.

But both teams could play. And they did not disappoint. When Miami scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to make it 31–30, they went for two. (Coach Jimmy Johnson later reasoned, “We always play to win.”) But Irish defensive back Pat Terrell batted QB Steve Walsh’s pass down to give Notre Dame an epic victory on the way to a national title.

When the Irish and Hurricanes meet at Soldier Field on Saturday, don’t be surprised to see Terrell on hand. A former nine-year NFL veteran, he now owns a Chicago-area construction company, Terrell Materials Corp. Pat Terrell profile